The Dream of the Rood
The Dream of the Rood is a dream-vision in which the cross tells the story of the crucifixion. Here Christ appears as a young hero-king, confident of victory as he rushes to mount the cross. By contrast, the cross itself (now stained with blood, now encrusted with gems in the manner of a reliquary) feels all the agony of crucifixion, and its physical pain is more than matched by the pain of its being forced to kill its young lord.
The text is from the tenth-century Vercelli Book; a portion of it is also carved in runes on an eighth-century stone cross in Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, but the inscription may be of later date than the cross itself.
For the poems of the Vercelli Book, see George Philip Krapp and Elliott Van Kirk Dobbie, ed., The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records (New York, 1931-1953), vol. 2. Both the Vercelli and the Ruthwell texts have been edited separately, with full notes and glossary, by Michael Swanton, The Dream of the Rood, 2nd ed. (Exeter, 1987).
Hwæt,
iċ
swefna
cyst
secgan
wylle,
hwæt mē ġemǣtte tō midre nihte
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon.
Þūhte mē þæt iċ ġesāwe syllicre trēow
5 on lyft lǣdan, lēohte bewunden,
bēama beorhtost. Eall þæt bēacen wæs
begoten mid golde; ġimmas stōdon
fæġere æt foldan scēatum; swylċe þǣr fīfe wǣron
uppe on þām eaxleġespanne. Behēoldon þǣr enġel Dryhtnes ealle
10 fæġere þurh forðġesceaft. Ne wæs ðǣr hūru fracodes ġealga,
ac hine þǣr behēoldon hāliġe gāstas,
men ofer moldan, ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft.
Sylliċ wæs se siġebēam ond iċ synnum fāh,
forwunded mid wommum. Ġeseah iċ wuldres trēow
15 wǣdum ġeweorðode, wynnum scīnan,
ġeġyred mid golde; ġimmas hæfdon
bewriġene weorðlīċe Wealdendes trēow.
Hwæðre iċ þurh þæt gold onġytan meahte
earmra ǣrġewin, þæt hit ǣrest ongan
20 swǣtan on þā swīðran healfe. Eall iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed;
forht iċ wæs for þǣre fæġran ġesyhðe. Ġeseah iċ þæt fūse bēacen
wendan wǣdum ond blēom; hwīlum hit wæs mid wǣtan bestēmed,
beswyled mid swātes gange, hwīlum mid since ġeġyrwed.
Hwæðre iċ þǣr licgende lange hwīle
25 behēold hrēowċeariġ Hǣlendes trēow,
oð ðæt iċ ġehȳrde þæt hit hlēoðrode.
Ongan þā word sprecan wudu sēlesta:
Þæt wæs ġeāra iū (iċ þæt ġȳta ġeman)
þæt iċ wæs āhēawen holtes on ende,
30 āstyred of stefne mīnum. Ġenāman mē ðǣr strange fēondas,
ġeworhton him þǣr tō wǣfersȳne, hēton mē heora wergas hebban.
Bǣron mē ðǣr beornas on eaxlum oð ðæt hīe mē on beorg āsetton;
ġefæstnodon mē þǣr fēondas ġenōge. Ġeseah iċ þā Frēan mancynnes
efstan elne myċle þæt hē mē wolde on ġestīgan.
35 Þǣr iċ þā ne dorste ofer Dryhtnes word
būgan oððe berstan, þā iċ bifian ġeseah
eorðan scēatas. Ealle iċ mihte
fēondas ġefyllan, hwæðre iċ fæste stōd.
Onġyrede hine þā ġeong hæleð - þæt wæs God ælmihtiġ,
40 strang ond stīðmōd. Ġestāh hē on ġealgan hēanne,
mōdiġ on maniġra ġesyhðe, þā hē wolde mancyn lȳsan.
Bifode iċ þā mē se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste iċ hwæðre būgan tō eorðan,
feallan tō foldan scēatum, ac iċ sceolde fæste standan.
Rōd wæs iċ ārǣred. Āhōf iċ rīċne Cyning,
45 heofona Hlāford, hyldan mē ne dorste.
Þurhdrifan hī mē mid deorcan næġlum. On mē syndon þā dolg ġesīene
opene inwidhlemmas. Ne dorste iċ hira nǣnigum sceððan.
Bysmeredon hīe unc būtū ætgædere. Eall iċ wæs mid blōde bestēmed,
begoten of þæs guman sīdan siððan hē hæfde his gāst onsended.
50 Feala iċ on þām beorge ġebiden hæbbe
wrāðra wyrda. Ġeseah iċ weruda God
þearle þenian. Þȳstro hæfdon
bewriġen mid wolcnum Wealdendes hrǣw,
scīrne scīman; sceadu forðēode
55 wann under wolcnum. Wēop eal ġesceaft,
cwīðdon Cyninges fyll. Crist wæs on rōde.
Hwæðere þǣr fūse feorran cwōman
tō þām æðelinge; iċ þæt eall behēold.
Sāre iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed; hnāg iċ hwæðre þām secgum tō handa,
60 ēaðmōd, elne myċle. Ġenāmon hīe þǣr ælmihtiġne God,
āhōfon hine of ðām hefian wīte. Forlēton mē þā hilderincas
standan stēame bedrifenne. Eall iċ wæs mid strǣlum forwundod.
Ālēdon hīe ðǣr limwēriġne, ġestōdon him æt his līċes hēafdum;
behēoldon hīe ðǣr heofenes Dryhten, ond hē hine ðǣr hwīle reste,
65 mēðe æfter ðām miċlan ġewinne. Ongunnon him þā moldern wyrċan
beornas on banan ġesyhðe. Curfon hīe ðæt of beorhtan stāne;
ġesetton hīe ðǣron sigora Wealdend. Ongunnon him þā sorhlēoð galan
earme on þā ǣfentīde. Þā hīe woldon eft sīðian
mēðe fram þām mǣran þēodne; reste hē ðǣr mǣte weorode.
70 Hwæðere wē ðǣr grēotende gōde hwīle
stōdon on staðole syððan stefn ūp ġewāt
hilderinca. Hrǣw cōlode
fæġer feorgbold. Þā ūs man fyllan ongan
ealle tō eorðan. Þæt wæs eġesliċ wyrd!
75 Bedealf ūs man on dēopan sēaþe; hwæðre mē þǣr Dryhtnes þeġnas,
frēondas ġefrūnon,
ġyredon mē golde ond seolfre.
Nū ðū miht ġehȳran, hæleð mīn se lēofa,
þæt iċ bealuwara weorc ġebiden hæbbe,
80 sārra sorga. Is nū sǣl cumen
þæt mē weorðiað wīde ond sīde
menn ofer moldan ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft,
ġebiddaþ him tō þyssum bēacne. On mē bearn Godes
þrōwode hwīle; for þan iċ þrymfæst nū
85 hlīfiġe under heofenum, ond iċ hǣlan mæġ
ǣġhwylċne ānra þāra þe him bið eġesa tō mē.
Iū iċ wæs ġeworden wīta heardost,
lēodum lāðost, ǣr þan iċ him līfes weġ
rihtne ġerȳmde reordberendum.
90 Hwæt, mē þā ġeweorðode wuldres Ealdor
ofer holtwudu, heofonriċes Weard,
swylċe swā hē his mōdor ēac, Marian sylfe,
ælmihtiġ God for ealle menn
ġeweorðode ofer eall wīfa cynn.
95 Nū iċ þē hāte, hæleð mīn se lēofa,
þæt ðū þās ġesyhðe secge mannum,
onwrēoh wordum þæt hit is wuldres bēam
se ðe ælmihtiġ God on þrōwode
for mancynnes manegum synnum
100 ond Adomes ealdġewyrhtum.
Dēað hē þǣr byriġde; hwæðere eft Dryhten ārās
mid his miċlan mihte mannum tō helpe.
Hē ðā on heofenas āstāg, hider eft fundaþ
on þysne middanġeard mancynn sēċan
105 on dōmdæġe Dryhten sylfa,
ælmihtiġ God ond his enġlas mid,
þæt hē þonne wile dēman, se āh dōmes ġeweald,
ānra ġehwylcum swā hē him ǣrur hēr
on þyssum lǣnum līfe ġeearnaþ.
110 Ne mæġ þǣr ǣniġ unforht wesan
for þām worde þe se Wealdend cwyð.
Frīneð hē for þǣre mæniġe hwǣr se man sīe,
se ðe for Dryhtnes naman dēaðes wolde
biteres onbyriġan, swā hē ǣr on ðām bēame dyde.
115 Ac hīe þonne forhtiað, ond fēa þenċaþ
hwæt hīe tō Criste cweðan onġinnen.
Ne þearf ðǣr þonne ǣniġ anforht wesan
þe him ǣr in brēostum bereð bēacna sēlest,
ac ðurh ðā rōde sceal rīċe ġesēċan
120 of eorðweġe ǣġhwylċ sāwl
sēo þe mid Wealdende wunian þenċeð.
Ġebæd iċ mē þā tō þan bēame blīðe mōde,
elne myċle, þǣr iċ āna wæs
mǣte werede. Wæs mōdsefa
125 āfȳsed on forðweġe; feala ealra ġebād
langunghwīla. Is mē nū līfes hyht
þæt iċ þone siġebēam sēċan mōte
āna oftor þonne ealle men,
well weorþian. Mē is willa tō ðām
130 myċel on mōde, ond mīn mundbyrd is
ġeriht tō þǣre rōde. Nāh iċ rīċra feala
frēonda on foldan, ac hīe forð heonon
ġewiton of worulde drēamum, sōhton him wuldres Cyning,
lifiaþ nū on heofenum mid hēahfædere,
135 wuniaþ on wuldre, ond iċ wēne mē
daga ġehwylċe hwænne mē Dryhtnes rōd
þe iċ hēr on eorðan ǣr scēawode
on þysson lǣnan līfe ġefetiġe
ond mē þonne ġebringe þǣr is blis myċel,
140 drēam on heofonum, þǣr is Dryhtnes folc
ġeseted tō symle, þǣr is singal blis,
ond mē þonne āsette þǣr iċ syþþan mōt
wunian on wuldre, well mid þām hālgum
drēames brūcan. Sī mē Dryhten frēond,
145 se ðe hēr on eorþan ǣr þrōwode
on þām ġealgtrēowe for guman synnum.
Hē ūs onlȳsde ond ūs līf forġeaf
heofonlicne hām. Hiht wæs ġenīwad
mid blēdum ond mid blisse þām þe þǣr bryne þolodan.
150 Se Sunu wæs sigorfæst on þām sīðfate,
mihtiġ ond spēdiġ þā hē mid maniġeo cōm,
gāsta weorode, on Godes rīċe,
Anwealda ælmihtiġ, enġlum tō blisse
ond eallum ðām hālgum þām þe on heofonum ǣr
155 wunedon on wuldre þā heora Wealdend cwōm,
ælmihtiġ God, þǣr his ēðel wæs.
hwæt mē ġemǣtte tō midre nihte
syðþan reordberend reste wunedon.
Þūhte mē þæt iċ ġesāwe syllicre trēow
5 on lyft lǣdan, lēohte bewunden,
bēama beorhtost. Eall þæt bēacen wæs
begoten mid golde; ġimmas stōdon
fæġere æt foldan scēatum; swylċe þǣr fīfe wǣron
uppe on þām eaxleġespanne. Behēoldon þǣr enġel Dryhtnes ealle
10 fæġere þurh forðġesceaft. Ne wæs ðǣr hūru fracodes ġealga,
ac hine þǣr behēoldon hāliġe gāstas,
men ofer moldan, ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft.
Sylliċ wæs se siġebēam ond iċ synnum fāh,
forwunded mid wommum. Ġeseah iċ wuldres trēow
15 wǣdum ġeweorðode, wynnum scīnan,
ġeġyred mid golde; ġimmas hæfdon
bewriġene weorðlīċe Wealdendes trēow.
Hwæðre iċ þurh þæt gold onġytan meahte
earmra ǣrġewin, þæt hit ǣrest ongan
20 swǣtan on þā swīðran healfe. Eall iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed;
forht iċ wæs for þǣre fæġran ġesyhðe. Ġeseah iċ þæt fūse bēacen
wendan wǣdum ond blēom; hwīlum hit wæs mid wǣtan bestēmed,
beswyled mid swātes gange, hwīlum mid since ġeġyrwed.
Hwæðre iċ þǣr licgende lange hwīle
25 behēold hrēowċeariġ Hǣlendes trēow,
oð ðæt iċ ġehȳrde þæt hit hlēoðrode.
Ongan þā word sprecan wudu sēlesta:
Þæt wæs ġeāra iū (iċ þæt ġȳta ġeman)
þæt iċ wæs āhēawen holtes on ende,
30 āstyred of stefne mīnum. Ġenāman mē ðǣr strange fēondas,
ġeworhton him þǣr tō wǣfersȳne, hēton mē heora wergas hebban.
Bǣron mē ðǣr beornas on eaxlum oð ðæt hīe mē on beorg āsetton;
ġefæstnodon mē þǣr fēondas ġenōge. Ġeseah iċ þā Frēan mancynnes
efstan elne myċle þæt hē mē wolde on ġestīgan.
35 Þǣr iċ þā ne dorste ofer Dryhtnes word
būgan oððe berstan, þā iċ bifian ġeseah
eorðan scēatas. Ealle iċ mihte
fēondas ġefyllan, hwæðre iċ fæste stōd.
Onġyrede hine þā ġeong hæleð - þæt wæs God ælmihtiġ,
40 strang ond stīðmōd. Ġestāh hē on ġealgan hēanne,
mōdiġ on maniġra ġesyhðe, þā hē wolde mancyn lȳsan.
Bifode iċ þā mē se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste iċ hwæðre būgan tō eorðan,
feallan tō foldan scēatum, ac iċ sceolde fæste standan.
Rōd wæs iċ ārǣred. Āhōf iċ rīċne Cyning,
45 heofona Hlāford, hyldan mē ne dorste.
Þurhdrifan hī mē mid deorcan næġlum. On mē syndon þā dolg ġesīene
opene inwidhlemmas. Ne dorste iċ hira nǣnigum sceððan.
Bysmeredon hīe unc būtū ætgædere. Eall iċ wæs mid blōde bestēmed,
begoten of þæs guman sīdan siððan hē hæfde his gāst onsended.
50 Feala iċ on þām beorge ġebiden hæbbe
wrāðra wyrda. Ġeseah iċ weruda God
þearle þenian. Þȳstro hæfdon
bewriġen mid wolcnum Wealdendes hrǣw,
scīrne scīman; sceadu forðēode
55 wann under wolcnum. Wēop eal ġesceaft,
cwīðdon Cyninges fyll. Crist wæs on rōde.
Hwæðere þǣr fūse feorran cwōman
tō þām æðelinge; iċ þæt eall behēold.
Sāre iċ wæs mid sorgum ġedrēfed; hnāg iċ hwæðre þām secgum tō handa,
60 ēaðmōd, elne myċle. Ġenāmon hīe þǣr ælmihtiġne God,
āhōfon hine of ðām hefian wīte. Forlēton mē þā hilderincas
standan stēame bedrifenne. Eall iċ wæs mid strǣlum forwundod.
Ālēdon hīe ðǣr limwēriġne, ġestōdon him æt his līċes hēafdum;
behēoldon hīe ðǣr heofenes Dryhten, ond hē hine ðǣr hwīle reste,
65 mēðe æfter ðām miċlan ġewinne. Ongunnon him þā moldern wyrċan
beornas on banan ġesyhðe. Curfon hīe ðæt of beorhtan stāne;
ġesetton hīe ðǣron sigora Wealdend. Ongunnon him þā sorhlēoð galan
earme on þā ǣfentīde. Þā hīe woldon eft sīðian
mēðe fram þām mǣran þēodne; reste hē ðǣr mǣte weorode.
70 Hwæðere wē ðǣr grēotende gōde hwīle
stōdon on staðole syððan stefn ūp ġewāt
hilderinca. Hrǣw cōlode
fæġer feorgbold. Þā ūs man fyllan ongan
ealle tō eorðan. Þæt wæs eġesliċ wyrd!
75 Bedealf ūs man on dēopan sēaþe; hwæðre mē þǣr Dryhtnes þeġnas,
frēondas ġefrūnon,
ġyredon mē golde ond seolfre.
Nū ðū miht ġehȳran, hæleð mīn se lēofa,
þæt iċ bealuwara weorc ġebiden hæbbe,
80 sārra sorga. Is nū sǣl cumen
þæt mē weorðiað wīde ond sīde
menn ofer moldan ond eall þēos mǣre ġesceaft,
ġebiddaþ him tō þyssum bēacne. On mē bearn Godes
þrōwode hwīle; for þan iċ þrymfæst nū
85 hlīfiġe under heofenum, ond iċ hǣlan mæġ
ǣġhwylċne ānra þāra þe him bið eġesa tō mē.
Iū iċ wæs ġeworden wīta heardost,
lēodum lāðost, ǣr þan iċ him līfes weġ
rihtne ġerȳmde reordberendum.
90 Hwæt, mē þā ġeweorðode wuldres Ealdor
ofer holtwudu, heofonriċes Weard,
swylċe swā hē his mōdor ēac, Marian sylfe,
ælmihtiġ God for ealle menn
ġeweorðode ofer eall wīfa cynn.
95 Nū iċ þē hāte, hæleð mīn se lēofa,
þæt ðū þās ġesyhðe secge mannum,
onwrēoh wordum þæt hit is wuldres bēam
se ðe ælmihtiġ God on þrōwode
for mancynnes manegum synnum
100 ond Adomes ealdġewyrhtum.
Dēað hē þǣr byriġde; hwæðere eft Dryhten ārās
mid his miċlan mihte mannum tō helpe.
Hē ðā on heofenas āstāg, hider eft fundaþ
on þysne middanġeard mancynn sēċan
105 on dōmdæġe Dryhten sylfa,
ælmihtiġ God ond his enġlas mid,
þæt hē þonne wile dēman, se āh dōmes ġeweald,
ānra ġehwylcum swā hē him ǣrur hēr
on þyssum lǣnum līfe ġeearnaþ.
110 Ne mæġ þǣr ǣniġ unforht wesan
for þām worde þe se Wealdend cwyð.
Frīneð hē for þǣre mæniġe hwǣr se man sīe,
se ðe for Dryhtnes naman dēaðes wolde
biteres onbyriġan, swā hē ǣr on ðām bēame dyde.
115 Ac hīe þonne forhtiað, ond fēa þenċaþ
hwæt hīe tō Criste cweðan onġinnen.
Ne þearf ðǣr þonne ǣniġ anforht wesan
þe him ǣr in brēostum bereð bēacna sēlest,
ac ðurh ðā rōde sceal rīċe ġesēċan
120 of eorðweġe ǣġhwylċ sāwl
sēo þe mid Wealdende wunian þenċeð.
Ġebæd iċ mē þā tō þan bēame blīðe mōde,
elne myċle, þǣr iċ āna wæs
mǣte werede. Wæs mōdsefa
125 āfȳsed on forðweġe; feala ealra ġebād
langunghwīla. Is mē nū līfes hyht
þæt iċ þone siġebēam sēċan mōte
āna oftor þonne ealle men,
well weorþian. Mē is willa tō ðām
130 myċel on mōde, ond mīn mundbyrd is
ġeriht tō þǣre rōde. Nāh iċ rīċra feala
frēonda on foldan, ac hīe forð heonon
ġewiton of worulde drēamum, sōhton him wuldres Cyning,
lifiaþ nū on heofenum mid hēahfædere,
135 wuniaþ on wuldre, ond iċ wēne mē
daga ġehwylċe hwænne mē Dryhtnes rōd
þe iċ hēr on eorðan ǣr scēawode
on þysson lǣnan līfe ġefetiġe
ond mē þonne ġebringe þǣr is blis myċel,
140 drēam on heofonum, þǣr is Dryhtnes folc
ġeseted tō symle, þǣr is singal blis,
ond mē þonne āsette þǣr iċ syþþan mōt
wunian on wuldre, well mid þām hālgum
drēames brūcan. Sī mē Dryhten frēond,
145 se ðe hēr on eorþan ǣr þrōwode
on þām ġealgtrēowe for guman synnum.
Hē ūs onlȳsde ond ūs līf forġeaf
heofonlicne hām. Hiht wæs ġenīwad
mid blēdum ond mid blisse þām þe þǣr bryne þolodan.
150 Se Sunu wæs sigorfæst on þām sīðfate,
mihtiġ ond spēdiġ þā hē mid maniġeo cōm,
gāsta weorode, on Godes rīċe,
Anwealda ælmihtiġ, enġlum tō blisse
ond eallum ðām hālgum þām þe on heofonum ǣr
155 wunedon on wuldre þā heora Wealdend cwōm,
ælmihtiġ God, þǣr his ēðel wæs.